


Join me in the mornings (when you find you never knew me after all)

by CheetahLeopard2



Series: White Collar/Batman fics [7]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, White Collar (TV 2009), Young Justice (Comics)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Domesticity, Identity Reveal, M/M, Other, Scars, Tim Drake is Neal Caffrey
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-10
Updated: 2021-02-10
Packaged: 2021-03-16 05:28:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,298
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29327016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CheetahLeopard2/pseuds/CheetahLeopard2
Summary: Peter goes to pick Neal up for work, and finds him having a calm morning with two unfamiliar men.The door opens and Peter prepares to barge past Neal like he has to every morning he drives him. Only, it’s not Neal standing there.The man standing in front of him is built like a brick shithouse, casually dressed, shoulders stretching the shoulders of his simple white tee as he blinks confusedly at him with a slight scowl.They stand in silence for a few seconds, sizing each other up, before the other man seems satisfied, turning slightly to look back into the apartment, towards where Peter knows the bed to be, “Hey sweetheart, any chance ya have work today?”The answering groan must mean something, because the stranger rolls his eyes and turns back into the apartment, leaving the door open behind him.
Relationships: Tim Drake/Kon-El | Conner Kent/Jason Todd
Series: White Collar/Batman fics [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2025266
Comments: 33
Kudos: 282





	Join me in the mornings (when you find you never knew me after all)

**Author's Note:**

> Have fun~

There’s a knocking on his door, Tim distantly recognizes.

He’d gone out with Conner and Bart last night, a YJ reunion of sorts that involved taking down an arms dealer when he made a layover in New York. An arms dealer who had a bit more backup than they’d expected on the short notice. And Cassie had bowed out because of civilian engagements.

Make no mistake, they took down the arms dealer, but now Tim’s nursing a couple bruised ribs and a small graze from a knife along his side. He’d barely managed to hide his RR suit and put the anklet back on before crashing at 3am.

The knocking evolves into pounding and Tim distantly thinks he should get the door, but when he next blinks the thought’s already gone.

There’s a soft puff of air along the side of his neck, a clatter from the kitchen, then silence again.

Jason’s voice filters through the fog, and Tim takes a second to parse through the words, “Hey sweetheart, any chance ya have work today?”

Tim groans from deep in his chest, a ‘ _fuckk, I hope not’_ , before forcing himself to swing his legs out over the edge of the bed, which Kon makes a grunt of disapproval at. He manages to sit his torso up when the smell of coffee wafts to him, a large, solid, warm hand that feels like safety rubbing his back as he comes to awareness.

* * *

The door opens and Peter prepares to barge past Neal like he has to every morning he drives him. Only, it’s not Neal standing there.

The man standing in front of him is built like a brick shithouse, casually dressed, shoulders stretching the shoulders of his simple white tee as he blinks confusedly at him with a slight scowl.

They stand in silence for a few seconds, sizing each other up, before the other man seems satisfied, turning slightly to look back into the apartment, towards where Peter knows the bed to be, “Hey sweetheart, any chance ya have work today?”

The answering groan must mean something, because the stranger rolls his eyes and turns back into the apartment, leaving the door open behind him.

Peter decides that’s as good an invitation as any and walks in just in time for the stranger to hand Neal two mugs of coffee, which he chugs in quick succession.

Neal’s sitting on the side of the bed in a position that implies he hasn’t actually left the bed yet, in an oversized black long-sleeved shirt and sleep shorts, blearily blinking down at the last half of his second coffee cup as the stranger sits next to him, rubbing his back.

Peter pauses at the table, not wanting to intrude on what’s clearly a private moment. Unfortunately, they _do_ have work in about an hour.

“So… you are?” Peter asks, lingering awkwardly.

“Jason,” Jason replies, standing and collecting the coffee mugs, “Any requests for breakfast, Conner?”

Peter blinks, though he supposes he shouldn’t be surprised Neal gave out a fake name to his… hookup? But then there’s another groan and behind Neal another man sits up, shirtless with curly black hair and bleary blue eyes, “Pancakes.”

Conner leans his side against Neal’s back, and Neal grunts, twisting to push away Conner’s shoulder, “You’re heavy.”

Conner says something in reply, but Peter’s more distracted by the scar revealed on Neal’s neck. It’s thick and long, as though someone’d slit his throat. Peter thinks back frantically, trying to recall if he’d ever seen Neal without the high collar of a dress shirt.

“What happened?” he finds himself blurting, and Neal turns back to him curiously, so Peter vaguely gestures to his neck.

“That’s my bad,” Jason says from where he’s standing at the stove.

“It’s all good now,” Neal says, catching sight of Peter’s horrified expression, “we talked it out.”

“That’s not nearly as reassuring as you guys seem to think,” Conner says bemusedly from his place on the bed, before twisting to poke Neal’s side, “Lemme up.”

Neal grumbles, but stands up and gives Conner room to get out of bed before flopping right back down.

Conner walks right up to the table, gesturing for Peter to sit, “Trust me, you don’t want to miss out on Jason’s pancakes.”

“Damn right,” Jason agrees, plating the first few as an absolutely heavenly smell fills the room.

Well, the only way he’s going to get any answers is if he stays… Peter sits down, watching with curious eyes as Jason and Conner move around each other in the kitchen as smoothly as if they had choreographed it. They’ve clearly known each other for a long time.

Based on what Peter knows about Neal, he’s not exactly the type for one-night stands… although, he also hasn’t mentioned a Conner or a Jason before.

“So… how’d you guys meet Neal?” Peter not-so-subtly prods.

Jason pauses in setting down the platter of pancakes, eyes on the table, “Ya want th’ long story or th’ sugar-coated short one?”

Peter pauses, looks at his watch, “How long is ‘long’?”

Jason looks at Kon, who shrugs, “Probably too long when you have work in 35 minutes.”

Peter nods, gestures, “Short, then.”

Neal speaks from directly him, making Peter jump a slight bit. He hadn’t heard him walk over. Jason just continues setting out plates as Conner brings over cutlery and syrup.

“I worked with Conner for a bit, and Jason and I… had the same trainer, of sorts.”

Peter blinks, shakes his head, “Too short. First of all,” he points with his newly acquired fork to Conner as he takes the seat opposite him, with Jason beside him and Neal beside Peter, “You’re a thief?”

Jason and Neal both snort, shaking their heads, and Conner glares at them.

“Although I’d make a great thief,” he says pointedly, “No. This was before Neal Caffrey embarked upon,” his voice raises in pitch as he makes a broad gesture with his hand, “the dark road of theft and treachery.”

Peter blinks in surprise, trying to formulate what he’d ask someone who know Neal from his life _before,_ but before he can even form his thoughts to words Jason laughs, “Nah, just some good ol’ B&E and assassin avoidin’.”

Peter’s heart stops, breath stutters.

Neal shakes his head, smile quirking his lips in fond reminiscence, “Good times.”

“What?” Peter manages, brows knit and head tilted in confusion and disturbance.

Neal shrugs, the picture of nonchalance, “I don’t see you having any room to talk, Red Hood?”

Peter blinks. Once. Twice. Feels like he’s looking in from a million miles away, Jason’s playful, “hey!“ distorting as though he’s underwater.

 _Red Hood_ echoes in his thoughts, over and over.

 _Red Hood_ \- Gotham crime lord/anti-hero.

 _Red hood_ \- Criminal, undoubtedly, the alias glares out from the FBI’s wanted list. _Violent_ criminal.

“Neal,” Peter starts, voice measured, “the Red Hood?”

Neal tilts his head, assessing Peter’s expression, “Don’t worry,” he assures after a moment, “he’s hasn’t tried to kill me in years. Besides,” he adds, an afterthought as Peter grinds his teeth and rubs his temples, “I can take him.”

“Neal,” Peter grits out. Deep breath in. Breath out. In. Out. “Rumor is Red Hood’s trained by the Bat.”

Jason bares his teeth in a threateningly playful grin, “Among others.”

Peter ignores him, “and Bats are some of the most dangerous people in the world.”

“That’s true,” Conner says, “I mean, you both could beat me into the ground, and I’m _Superboy._ “

Peter chokes, “ _You?!_ “ pause, proccess, ” _Both?!“_

Jason barks a harsh laugh, “Peter,” he says, as though introducing him to a new person, “you know Red Robin.”

Neal waggles his fingers, stuffing a bite of pancake into his mouth without pause.

Peter.exe has stopped working. 

**Author's Note:**

> Please join me with jaytimkon p l e a s e
> 
> Comments are great! (small reminder though I'm not looking for criticism, constructive or otherwise!)


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